Fran Tarkenton Compares Trump's Leadership to Football Legends

ABC's VERONICA STRACQUALURSI: Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton holds Trump up there with football coaches Vince Lombardi and Nick Saban.

The 76 year old retired Minnesota Vikings quarterback praised Trump: "Whether it’s VinceLombardi years ago or, Nick Saban of Alabama today, I can tell you in just fivesimple words what every great leader does. A leader gets stuff done.A leader gets stuff done. I’ve known Donald Trump for 48 years. Like those other leaders I’ve known, he gets stuff done."

"Donald Trump knows how to get the best out of all people," Tarkenton said "I’ve watched him succeed. I’ve watched him fail. I’ve watched him get back up. He never quits."

by Veronica.Stracqualursi7/22/2016 12:19:04 AM

Following Early Rumors That Tom Brady or Tim Tebow Could Appear at the RNC...

Pastor Mark Burns Speaks at RNC

ABC's ADAM KELSEY: Mark Burns, the South Carolina pastor who made waves on the first day of the convention when he said during his benediction that "our enemy is not other Republicans but is Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party" gave a raucous speech from the floor of Quicken Loans arena tonight.

"Hello Republicans" yelled Burns at the top of his remarks. "Are you ready to elect the next president of these United States of America?"

Burns delivered blistering remarks, focused upon the divisions he saw the Democratic Party creating. Later in his speech he turned to issues of race, saying, "[U]nder a Donald Trump administration, all lives matter."

He went on to lead the crowd in Cleveland in a chant of "All lives matter."

ABC's VERONICA STRACQUALURSI: "We are more concerned with the rights of illegal aliens and criminals than we are with protecting our own country. That must change," Sheriff Joe Arpaio said tonight.

Sheriff Arpaio endorsed Trump back in January and has campaigned with the Republican nominee.

"I'm supporting Donald Trump because he is a leader," Arpaio said to cheers from the crowd. "He produces results. He is the only candidate for president ready to get tough in order to protect Americans."

The Arizona sheriff has been at the center of controversy over his Tent City Jail in Maricopa County and for his rhetoric against illegal immigrants.

Evangelical Leader Jerry Falwell Jr. Speaks at RNC

Jerry Falwell Jr., the President of Liberty University, began his speech by noting his family has lived in Virginia since the 1600s and that his wife is a descendant of George Washington.

"Our founding fathers envisioned a government that existed only to protect [the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.]"

Falwell also touted the religious bonafides of the university he now presides over and called for the end of investigations of conservative churches and colleges.

"Mr. Trump has added a plank to this party’s platform to repeal IRS rules sponsored by Lyndon Johnson in 1954 barring churches and nonprofits from expressing political free speech," said Falwell.

He also told a joke about Hillary Clinton that got some laughs:

"In the days before my father passed away in 2007, he joked with CNN that he dreamed Chelsea Clinton had asked him in an interview about the three greatest threats facing the nation. He replied: Osama, Obama and yo Momma," he said to laughs from delegates.

"The only way to make America great again is to tell Chelsea’s Momma: 'you're fired!'"

Clinton Campaign Trolls the RNC on Snapchat

ABC’s ADAM KELSEY:In the latest attempt to campaign using new media -- and perhaps appeal to the masses of millennials on smartphones -- Hillary Clinton’s campaign has purchased Snapchat geofilters centered in Cleveland.

The filters, which appear when a Snapchat user takes a picture then swipes across the screen before sending or posting it, feature yellow police tape with the words “Stop Trump” and quotes from the likes of John Kasich highlighting internal disagreement within the Republican party. As mandated by campaign advertising laws, the filters note that they are “Paid for by Hillary for America” at the bottom.

Other non-sponsored Snapchat filters in Cleveland include an elephant behind a podium, a protest cam, and a fake ballot that allows users to check off a vote for “Hillary,” “Trump,” or “LeBron.

Trump Campaign Promotes Hashtag Mocking Clinton

ABC's ADAM KELSEY: The campaign of presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump made a purchase on Trump's favorite social media platform in anticipation of his speech at the Republican National Convention tonight.

#TrumpIsWithYou currently appears at the top of Twitter's United States Trends. Trump coined the phrase a few weeks ago, saying, "I'm with you," referring to the American people, while mocking the Hillary Clinton campaign's attempts to connect with its supporters. The Democrats had encouraged use of the #ImWithHer hashtag to express support for Clinton's run.

In a draft of Trump's prepared remarks for Thursday, Trump addresses the "I'm with her" pledge and promotes his version.

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Meet the Cutest Security at the RNC

ABC’s JENNIFER HANSLER He may not be as fierce as his German Shepherd counterparts, but that won’t stop Reagan the dachshund from “guarding” the Cleveland Hofbrauhaus restaurant during the RNC. The restaurant’s market representative told ABC News that they wanted to have “something lighthearted” during the convention. The 8-year-old, 17-pound weiner dog belongs to a friend of the owner and will be at the restaurant during all of their events.

by Veronica.Stracqualursi7/21/2016 10:55:00 PM

Ted Cruz's Father Appears on Convention Floor

ABC's RICK KLEIN, KATHERINE FAULDERS and ADAM KELSEY

Rafael Cruz, the father of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, is at the RNC tonight, a day after his son made waves by refusing to endorse Donald Trump during his Wednesday speech.

The elder Cruz is a delegate from Texas and remains at the convention even after his son has left Cleveland. Rafael Cruz also attended the Texas delegation breakfast this morning where his son defended the choice not to endorse, saying he was "not in the habit of supporting someone who attacks my wife and attacks my father."

Following Ted Cruz's speech last night, Heidi Cruz was seen being escorted out of Quicken Loans Arena as the crowd turned on her husband.

Rafael Cruz was in the news earlier in the year when Trump attempted to draw a connection between his presence in Dallas in the 1960s and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

All About the First GOP Convention

ABC’s NOAH FITZGEREL: The first Republican convention was held in 1856, when John Fremont was chosen to be the party’s nominee. The convention was held in the same city where this year’s Democratic convention is being held: Philadelphia. One memorable participant in the first convention was a younger Abraham Lincoln, who lost to William Dayton in his bid for the party’s vice presidential nomination.

by Veronica.Stracqualursi7/21/2016 9:00:00 PM

Notable People Who Are Speaking Today: Peter Thiel

ABC’s VERONICA STRACQUALURSI: While Trump has been critical of Silicon Valley, one billionaire techie is showing his support of Trump by delivering remarks at the convention. The co-founder of PayPal and an early investor in Facebook, Peter Thiel may be the first openly gay speaker to address a Republican National Convention, according to The Associated Press.

by Veronica.Stracqualursi7/21/2016 8:30:00 PM

Demonstrators make their way to the Lorain-Carnegie bridge during a protest, July 21, 2016, in Cleveland, Ohio during the final day of the Republican convention.

Notable People Who Are Speaking Today: RNC Chair Reince Priebus

ABC’s NOAH FITZGEREL: As chair of the Republican Party, Reince Priebus is responsible for electing as many Republicans to office as possible during this election cycle. Tensions between the RNC and Trump flared at several points during the election cycle. Nevertheless, Priebus has been calling for party unity – a role that he will likely continue to play between now and November.

J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo

by Veronica.Stracqualursi7/21/2016 8:05:00 PM

What Ohioans Think of the Candidates

ABC’s VERONICA STRACQUALURSI: Majority of voters from the Buckeye State don’t like Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton.

Trump and Clinton both garnered negative favorability ratings among Ohioans in a Quinnipiac poll released July 13. 51 percent of Ohio voters view Clinton strongly unfavorable and 9 percent view Clinton somewhat unfavorable. As for Trump, 49 percent voters have a strongly unfavorable view of him and 10 percent see him somewhat unfavorable.

Ohio voters believe Clinton is the more intelligent candidate, 52 to 35 percent, and that she is more prepared to be the next Commander in Chief, 57 percent to 34 percent.

Trump leads in honesty and trustworthiness among Ohioans, 47 to 37 percent. 54 percent of Buckeye State voters think Trump would be better equipped to create jobs and 51 percent think Trump would more effective against ISIS.